


Naʻu ‘oe

by tothefoolswhodream



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, A‘Oia, David Kalākaua, F/M, Hawai'i, Hawaii, Kilauea, Luke The Matchmaker, Merrie Monarch, Merrie Monarch 2020, Miss Aloha Hula competition, Obi-Wan cameo, Rey is a hula dancer, ben is a journalist, hula, we love kahiko dance in this house
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:34:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23651668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tothefoolswhodream/pseuds/tothefoolswhodream
Summary: naʻu ‘oe - you are mineBen, a journalist, has been sent against his will to Hawai‘i to interview one of the contestants for this year's Merrie Monarch hula competition, Rey Ka‘iulani.Featuring Luke the Matchmaker~in which there is the loosening of hips~
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 11
Kudos: 27
Collections: Reylo Prompt Fills (@reylo_prompts)





	1. Po'alua, April 14

**Author's Note:**

> please forgive the moodboard, it's my first attempt XD
> 
> I got carried away doing research and probably rewatched all the Merrie Monarch wahine performances from the past 12 years. #sorrynotsorry  
> I’m planning for this fic to be a happy one. I do plan on making more Hawaiian fics! I’m already working on one about the lady described in the classic kahiko Kaulilua. That one will be more angsty and prose-y, but with a HEA, ofc.
> 
> ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i for chap 1:  
> Miss Aloha Hula - a dancer who has mastery of the Hawaiian language, and dances kahiko and ‘auana very well. The best of the best from their halau.  
> Kahiko - traditional hula dance  
> ‘Auana - westernized, more modern hula dance. (Commercialized hula is a blend of this and Tahitian dance)  
> ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i - Hawaiian language  
> Ha‘ole - someone who lacks (‘a‘ole) the breath of life (ha) - basically, someone who is not Hawaiian (can also be read as someone who does not do the traditional breath of life greeting, which is pressing foreheads together and breathing each other’s breath, basically)  
> Merrie Monarch - the Olympics of Hula. Held every year the week after Easter.  
> Halau - hula school  
> Hawai‘i - the traditional spelling of Hawaii! #puttheokinabackinHawai‘i  
> Lolo - stupid  
> Auē - oh  
> Ka‘iulani - means “royal sacred one.” Also the name of the last princess, Victoria Ka‘iulani, and a very common name in general.  
> ‘Ae - yes  
> Mauna - mountain

In Rey’s opinion, the fumes from the volcano stank. That didn’t matter that much, though, because she was standing at the top of Kīlauea. There was something about being up high that made Rey feel powerful. She could see the entirety of the island of Hawai‘i spread out all around her. 

For a girl who grew up in the desert, all the green was a glorious sight. The blue ocean helped make the rolling waves of nervousness in Rey’s stomach calm down.

After years of training and hard work, Rey had been chosen to compete in the yearly Merrie Monarch competition, and this year, she was the representative of her halau, competing for the title of Miss Aloha Hula.

Was Rey nervous? Heck yes. But she wouldn’t trade it for the world. She knew her dances; she knew her chants. She just hoped she could bring it all to that 14-minute performance. 

“Okay, I think this angle will be good!” shouted the cameraman. 

Rey quickly snapped out of her reverie and turned around, remembering that she wasn’t alone on the mauna.

She flashed a smile at the older man behind the camera.

“Sorry about my lolo nephew. He isn’t here yet. He’s going to be doing the interviewing.”

“Auē, it’s no problem. Forgive me, but I didn’t catch your name. What is it?”

“Luke,” he smiled, throwing her a shaka. “And my nephew’s name is Ben. Go easy on him, when you meet him. He’s a journalist in DC!”

“Auē,” Rey replied, not knowing what else to say. “DC must be… exciting.”

“He sure thinks so. He stayed with me for a few months on Ni‘ihau, but he left quickly. He hates it here, he says. Like I said, he’s lolo.”

“Who are you calling lolo?” a deep voice asked from behind Rey. 

“No one!” Luke practically sang, throwing his nephew a shaka.

Rey turned around. The deep voice belonged to a tall man with shoulder length black hair. No, he wasn’t just tall - he was a certifiable redwood. His gait was stilted, and he looked like he had just spent too many hours in an airplane. Deep bags graced his pale face, and it almost looked like he hadn’t smiled in years. But despite all that, Rey thought him handsome in a strange way, and prayed to Jesus that he didn’t see her blush.

Ben kept his hands stuck in his pockets, throwing his uncle a glare.

“Introduce yourself to the pretty lady, Ben,” Luke instructed, throwing a mischievous look at Rey.

“Ben,” he said, sticking his hand out for Rey to shake. Rey tentatively did so, noticing the tips of his ears turn red at his uncle’s statement.

“Rey Ka‘iulani,” she responded. There was a silence as Luke fiddled with his camera, a secretive smile on his face. “So… what shall I do?”

“Don’t ask me. I’m just the cameraman. Ben, on the other hand, is in charge. He’s got all the questions.”

“You wrote them,” Ben deadpanned.

“Yes, well, technicalities, technicalities.”

“Okay, so first on the list is-”

“Ben, maybe you should tell Rey what we’re going to be doing. Oh, and by the way, we’re just rehearsing.”

“I know that we’re going to be making this as a sort of introduction to hula and what it takes to be a hula dancer,” Rey volunteered.

“‘Ae!” Luke exclaimed. “We’re showing the world why hula and Merrie Monarch are important.”

“Honestly, I wonder why some people think hula is easy. It isn’t,” Rey said.

“Damn right. There’s a reason those tickets sell so quickly,” Luke agreed.

“Have you been to Merrie Monarch before, Ben?” Rey asked, seeking to add him to the conversation.

“It’s been years,” he eventually responded.

Rey chose to ignore his disinterest. “Well, you’re in for a treat. All of the numbers this year are going to be so exciting!”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s get started?”

“‘Ae,” Rey smiled awkwardly, not knowing what to make of the pale giant.

“Okay, so today we’re just planning all the shots for tomorrow, when we come up here with your hula sisters,” Luke informed them.

“Remind me why you needed me here today, Luke?”

“You need to know what’s going on,” Luke rolled his eyes. “See, I told you he’s lolo.”

“Oh my god, let’s just start. Why are we on Kīlauea?” Ben asked, taking out his phone to take notes.

And suddenly, Rey’s awkwardness was gone. Instead, she beamed at the both of them, and started to tell the story of the goddess Pele.

As Ben watched her face light up and her teeth show in an infectious gummy smile, the corners of his mouth tugged into a small, brief grin of their own.


	2. Po'akolu, April 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i for chap 2:  
> Alika - defender of mankind  
> Kumu - teacher, rock, foundation  
> Halau - hula school  
> Kuleana - responsibility, privilege  
> Ipu heke - gourd drum

Ben was not excited to have to hike up Kīlauea for the second day in a row. However, he didn’t mind the fact that he was walking right next to Rey. 

Earlier that morning, Luke, Ben, and Rey had met at the foot of the mountain, ready with all of the camera equipment. For someone with so much gray hair, he was surprisingly quick and sneaky. After all the equipment had been loaded into the truck, Luke hopped in, and spread his bag of snacks all over the only other available seat so that there was no room for someone else. 

“Sorry Ben,” he apologized. “My car is so full, it can’t take you. I guess you’ll have to walk up the mauna with Rey. See you up there!” 

Off Luke drove, leaving the two in a cloud of dust.

“I’m sorry,” Ben started. “My uncle is really…”

“Lolo?” Rey finished with a wide grin. 

“Yeah,” he responded, giving an almost grin. “Did your fellow dancers already start the hike?” he asked, looking up at the trail ahead of them.

“I think so,” she said, a small frown puckering her forehead.

“If we run, I think we can catch up with them,” he offered.

“I’m fine not running,” Rey said after a moment. 

He didn’t respond, but shoved his fists into his pockets.

Silence ensued, but Ben found himself admiring Rey’s freckles as they walked. Of course, he admired them discreetly - he couldn’t let her see that he was watching.

“We call each other our hula sisters and brothers, if you didn’t know already,” Rey offered hesitantly after a while.

“How long have you been dancing with them?” Ben asked.

“Since I came here at 15,” Rey responded.

“Oh, so you’re not from Hawaii?” Surprise was evident on his face. 

“I’m from the California desert, actually. It was crazy when I came here, because I never thought there could be so much green in the world!”

“So what made your family decide to move here?”

Rey was quiet for a moment. “It was my choice. I… don’t have a family.” She didn’t pause, but barrelled on. “The kumu of my halau, Uncle Obi-Wan Alika Kenobi, was visiting the halau of his brother in California, and he saw me. For some reason, he decided to take me back with him, and he taught me how to dance. So he… he basically gave me this life. And now I’m here, 8 years later.”

“Wow,” Ben said. “That’s… badass, that you’ve done all that.”

Rey blushed. “It’s not hard when you love it. But what about you? What made you a journalist?” Ben noticed that she twisted her hands as she spoke. He noticed every one of her little mannerisms.

“My entire family has always been in politics and journalism. I just was born into it, I guess.”

“Do you love it?”

“What?”

“Your job.”

“Yeah, I guess. I have a passion for spreading truth and… and telling the stories that need to be told.”

“Hula is like journalism, then.” Ben felt like his heart was going to stop when her face turned toward him, a smile filling every corner of her face. 

“Oh yeah? Why?” Ben had an idea, but he wanted to hear her talk more.

“Hula is storytelling, and we tell those stories so that they don’t die. We tell the stories of our ancestors. It’s our kuleana - both our responsibility and our privilege - to be their vessel, to perpetuate the values that they taught.”

“But didn’t they practice awful things like human sacrifice?”

“Every culture has it’s not so pretty parts. So we remember and perpetuate the good, because the values don’t change, even though people and places do. Hula… it makes us better mothers. Better daughters, better sisters. It makes us better people.”

Ben let her words marinate in his head. “It seems like such an amazing type of dance.”

“Dance is such a weak word for what hula is,” Rey turned to smile at him, only to find him already looking at her with one of his own. 

She didn’t know he had dimples. She rather liked them.

The summit appeared before them suddenly.

“Why are you two lolo children walking so slowly?” Luke yelled from the distance, with all the equipment already set up.

“I’m, uh, trying to save my energy,” Rey blushed, and then quickened her pace. 

“Good job adhering to her needs, Benny,” Luke reached up on his tippy toes so he could ruffle his nephew’s hair. “This boy, Rey, could do whatever he wants. Nothing is too much for him. He has a lot of stamina. Positively  _ insatiable _ .”

Ben and Rey both turned red. “Luke,” he groaned.

“What? He’s tall and handsome, just like me. He obviously had to get it from somewhere,” Luke brushed an imaginary piece of lint off his shoulder.

“And now is when we will start,” Ben said loudly. Rey snickered. “I think we should just film the ritual first, if that’s okay with you.”

Rey smiled at him, and then walked over to join her hula sisters. They stood at the edge of the crater. Standing with her fists on her hips, in line with her sisters, Kumu Obi-Wan began playing the ipu heke.

Ben observed in wonder as he saw the sheer grace and power of the women as they moved in sync. They couldn’t have been more than 10 inches off the ground, and yet their hips swayed in unison, their matching skirts swishing around them. Their upper body carriage was incredibly straight, and not a single one lost their balance. It looked so easy, and yet, he knew it wasn’t.

Watching them, he knew why Rey had been chosen as their representative for Miss Aloha Hula. There was something about watching her dance that drew the eyes of all who watched. She moved fluidly and effortlessly. He’d be damned if she didn’t win that title.

And god, he wanted her to win it so badly. 

During the entire day, his eyes never left her slight frame. She would glance at him every so often - he would smile at her, and she would smile right back. 

Luke and Obi-Wan shared a look, knowing that the two people had found someone else to fill in the other’s missing pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two awkward children hahaha
> 
> Comments and kudos make me happy!!!


	3. Chapter 3 - Po'aha, April 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Competition day has arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let the lei jokes commence
> 
> I know absolutely nothing about what it is like actually competing in Merrie Monarch. However, I will one day, and I’ll update this to match when that exciting day comes. 
> 
> unedited, I apologize. I had to get it out.
> 
> ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i for chap 3:  
> Kaika (kaikamahine) - girl

Rey woke up on Thursday so nervous she thought she was going to puke. Nothing helped - not a walk around the neighborhood, meditation, or reading. It didn’t help that the performance would start at 7 pm, so she had all day to stress. Going outside, she gathered a bunch of foliage to start weaving into some leis. 

That was how Ben found her, ready to pick her up to take her to the venue. 

“Rey? Did you just make all of these leis?” Ben asked, gesturing to the giant pile of red carnation leis. 

“Yes,” Rey groaned, looking at her decimated carnation garden. “Here, you wear them.”

Ben’s feet were glued to the ground as he stared in panic as Rey walked over and started layering lei on top of lei around his neck. 

“Are there bugs in these?” he blurted.

Rey smiled. “I shook them out before I braided them. And anyway, why would it matter? They’re little and harmless.”

“Rey, bugs are  _ not harmless _ .”

There was pure panic in his eyes. Rey snorted.

“Well, if you get a boo-boo, don’t worry, I’ll kiss it.” 

Both immediately turned red. 

Ben absentmindedly thought he rather would like her to kiss him. He could see all the freckles dotting her sun-kissed skin, the dainty pink lips, and her pretty hazel eyes, frozen into a shocked expression.

“Oh, what time is it?” Rey squeaked. She glanced at her wrist. “Oh, it’s time for us to get going! Let me go grab my bags.” 

There was no watch on her wrist, but even if Ben wanted to point that fact out, it would have been too late, because Rey had already disappeared inside her house. 

\---===+===---

An hour later, they had pulled up to the venue, Ben and Rey laden with bags of costumes, instruments, and accessories. 

Luke met them outside. 

“Benny! I love your leis!” Luke shouted, throwing Rey an exaggerated wink. Rey’s brow furrowed for a second, looked at Ben’s leis, and then turned bright red. “My nephew’s lolo, so if he doesn’t get it right away, don’t worry. He’ll come around eventually.”

“I need to… go drop these off.” Rey scurried off, leaving the two of them alone.

“What did you mean by me not getting it right away?” Ben wheeled on his uncle. Rey had run from him many times already, he didn’t know if he could ever catch up to her.

Luke sighed. “Red carnations mean love, you lolo boy. She may not have intended that, but I do think she doesn’t mind that it happened that way. Go get her. Be happy. Don’t be lolo.”

Ben’s uncle patted him on the shoulder, shot him a serious look, and then shooed him off to Rey’s dressing room.

Opening the door cautiously, he peeked inside to see Rey dressed in her full outfit. Her hair was tied up in a tight bun, with leis gracing her neck, wrists, ankles, and head. Her skirt was red, purple, orange, and yellow, making her look like a volcano goddess. His breath hitched.

“I’m almost ready,” she grunted, sticking a couple bobby pins into her lei.

“You look really nice,” he murmured softly, scratching the back of his neck.

Rey had blushed too many times to count that day, but this time, she put all of those shades of red to shame. 

“Thanks,” she smiled at him.

Ben was positive that he had never seen anyone more gorgeous, and he didn’t take his eyes off of her until she was completely ready to record.

“What do you want me to say now?” Rey asked, gesturing to his camera.

“Say everything. Everything you’ve said about hula.”

“I’ve said a lot,” she snorted.

“Then say what means the most to you.”

Rey took a deep breath, and thought for a second.

“Hula is the language of the heart, and therefore, the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people. My kumu says that everything needs to dance - your hair, your toenails, your eyelashes. 

“The Merrie Monarch Festival is the most prestigious hula festival in the world. Within three days, the tickets are sold out. They are like gold. For me, I’ve wanted to be in Merrie Monarch since I started dancing hula, and most of my hula journey has been working towards this moment, which is in half an hour! 

“There is a difference between dancing hula in a halau, and dancing hula professionally. Dancing for the tourists is like American Chinese food. Y’know, not authentic Chinese food. You don’t see the skill, the grace, the love, that you would at Merrie Monarch. 

“Dance is such a weak word for what hula is. It isn’t ladies in grass skirts, plastic leis, and coconut bras. It’s a story. We tell these stories because if we don't share them, they are going to die. Hula dancers are all different races but when they dance, they're Hawaiian. 

“You get chicken skin when you think about dancing a number that has been danced the exact same way for the past 300 years. They danced it then, you are dancing it now, and you will pass it on, so it will continue to be danced for the next 300 years, and even after that.

“It’s a fact that all hula dancers have bad knees. All of them. So when you see a hula dancer gliding across the stage, she’s hurting. She’s hurting real bad, because no one walks around with bent knees, 6 inches off the ground. Every part of your body needs to work. You should be gasping for air, but you can’t. You should look exactly the same as when you first started.

“I don’t dance hula so I can be the Miss Aloha Hula. I do it because I just love it. And… I can’t explain to you why I do. I just do.”

Ben stopped recording when he realized she was done.

“Was that good enough?” Rey asked.

“That was perfect. Absolutely perfect. You are going to crush them in that competition.” Ben smiled at her, showing off his dimples. 

“Don’t say that.” Rey turned her face away.

“Say what?”

“That I’m going to win. You’re making me raise my expectations.” Ben could see her chest start to heave with panic. 

“If you’re competing, shouldn’t your expectations be raised?”

“No, I can’t. I don’t belong here, anyways. I wasn’t born here, I don’t have ancestors from here, I haven’t even been dancing since I was a kaika just like every other woman competing here! I’m just an  _ imposter _ , and they’re going to see that as soon as I step onto the stage. I’m going to get up there, and I’m going to  _ forget _ all my lines, or my skirts are going to  _ fall off _ , or they’re all going to start  _ laughing- _ ”

“Rey!” Ben exclaimed, cutting her off as he took her hands and knelt in front of her, making her look at him. “Rey! No! Stop thinking that. I saw you dancing with your hula sisters. You are such an amazing dancer, and such an amazing person. They are going to see that. Stop panicking. You HAVE to go out there and kick ass. Okay? Because that’s what you do. You’re going to show the world that they can never kick you out, because you already belong.”

“I feel so alone,” Rey whispered, looking at him with tears in her eyes.

“You’re not alone,” Ben said fiercely. “You have your kumu, and your hula brothers and sisters. You have the ancestors and gods standing behind you, with your future ahead. And… and you have me. So yeah, you’re not alone.”

Ben did not expect Rey to come flying at him, crushing him in a hug. “Neither are you,” she whispered, muffled into his denim button-up.

Ben wrapped his arms around her, slowly melting into the hug.

“Will you wait for me after, no matter who wins?” she asked quietly.

“Of course.”

Rey pulled away and smiled at him. He looked at her like she was the royal sacred one that her name declared.

Ben looked down at her and grinned at her. Lightly tracing her lei with his finger, he said, “Don’t forget - where there’s a will, there’s a lei.”

Rey gasped in fake horror. Then the two burst out laughing.

\---===+===---

“And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Miss Aloha Hula winner for 2020 is… Rey Ka‘iulani!”

Ben jumped to his feet, pumping his fists in the air. Beside him, Luke was screaming about how not lolo the judges were. Across the stage, he could see Rey breaking down in tears, being burdened with leis and hugs from her sisters.

Everyone wanted to get a piece of Rey after that, and Ben didn’t mind waiting. When the crowd around her finally dispersed, he ran towards her, picking her up and twirling her. 

Putting her down, he pulled together all his courage and kissed Rey on the lips. Rey was frozen for a second, but then she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

It was as if a volcano erupted inside his chest, and he was filled with warmth as he pulled Rey in closer.

Behind them, he heard Luke comment to Kumu Obi-Wan. “Those lolo kids finally got it together.”

“Finally?”

“They were destined to be together. I know it. Ben is definitely going to get lei’d sometime soon.”

Ben hastily pulled away, staring in horror at Luke.

“Let’s forget about them,” Rey whispered. She pulled him down by the collar again, a happy smile on both their lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “I want to share because if we don't share these dances, they are going to die. My students are all different races but when they dance, I know they're Hawaiian.” Uncle George Na’ope, everyone’s kumu. Every dancer can trace a dance back to him. RIP, we love you, Uncle George.
> 
> Mahalo to my aunty for the part about dancing what they have danced, and then what our descendants will be dancing. What an amazing thought. 
> 
> I based Rey’s outfit off of [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keWtdNb0nMo) kahiko performance. Beautiful harmonies.
> 
> My [favorite](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yd32K9A2fs) hula kahiko. Those ladies are badass. My abs hurt looking at them.
> 
> To this date, still the [best](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Hm06fWrdl0) Miss Aloha Hula performance ever. The gods were with her at that performance, I think.
> 
> I took a lot of what Rey said about hula from [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NhPqimnr3o) amazing video.
> 
> All these videos will give you chicken skin! Check them out!
> 
> Comments and kudos help me write!
> 
> Find me on [twitter!](https://twitter.com/anexcitablehis1)


	4. Chapter 4 - six years later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> \---six years later---  
> Me aʻu ‘oe, olu nei puʻuwai

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i for chap 4:  
> Lulua'ina - freckles  
> Keiki - child  
> Halau - school  
> Kumu - teacher

_ 6 years later _

There were many things that Ben loved about Rey. One of Ben’s favorite things about her - besides her freckles - was how she laughed. She had all sorts of laughs - amused giggles, loud honks that sounded like a goose, high pitched laughs, and the ones where she threw her head back and just let her sound loose. 

Every one of them showed how unabashedly happy she was. When she was happy, Ben was happy. 

After that fateful competition six years earlier, Ben had realized his job as a hard-hitting journalist in DC didn’t truly make him happy. What made him happy was the slim hula dancer that had danced away with the Miss Aloha Hula title, but had also danced away with his heart. 

Uncle Luke loved meddling in their affairs, so when he realized that Ben was looking for a reason to stay in Hawai‘i, he sold his news company to his nephew, saying that he was lolo for working so long when all he  _ really _ wanted to do was retire. (Really, all he wanted to do was see Ben and Rey make children - lots of them, as he later told the two.)

Ben could still tell his stories, but he could do it by the side of the girl that - very quickly - became his wife. 

It was her laugh that rippled through the open back door, the sound getting closer as Ben saw the silhouette of his wife being dragged towards him by their daughter. 

“Ben! Lulua'ina wants to show you something.” Lulua'ina, who was dotted with many of her own  _ lulua 'ina _ , had her thick black hair tied back in a braid, and her own haphazard lei tilted precariously on her head. Both of Ben’s girls were dressed in matching white shirts and red hula skirts. Ben could only smile at what a cute picture they made, matching radiant smiles directed towards him.

God, sometimes he felt like he was so lucky, he didn’t deserve it. But nonetheless, he treasured every moment. 

“Daddy! Come outside, we want to show you our new dance.” Their daughter grabbed his hand with her free one, and dragged her parents outside into the flower-scented air.

Standing primly in the green grass, their skirts pinched between their fingers and their heads held high, the two girls started dancing along to the ukulele and the recording of Kumu Obi-Wan’s voice.

A couple years earlier, Obi-Wan had passed away. It had been a happy, hopeful event, not a sad one, according to his wishes. And it surprised no one when, right before he passed away, he made Rey the next kumu hula of his halau.

Rey made a point to tell the young keiki of the halau about their hula ancestry. She told them about her first time dancing hula. She told them about Kumu Obi-Wan, and his kumus, Kumu Na‘ope, Kumu Kia‘i, and Kumu Keoni. She told them the stories of the ones who came before, making sure they carried them on, while inspiring them to make their own. 

A ‘Oia

Naʻu ‘oe

Naʻu nō e lei haʻaheo

Ua noa kō nui kino na’u

Hoʻokahi wale nō

Me aʻu ‘oe, olu nei puʻuwai

Aia lā!

Lilo ana, lilo ‘oe iaʻu

_ There now! _

_ You are mine _

_ Mine to cherish with pride _

_ You are all mine _

_ And mine alone _

_ Having you with me soothes my heart _

_ There now! _

_ You are won, won by me _

The two girls smiled as they struck their final pose. Ben cheered loudly for them.

“Your turn, daddy!” Lulua'ina grinned. 

“My turn for what?” Ben said, reaching down to pick her up.

“Your turn to dance a hula.”

“I don’t dance hula.”

“Everyone can dance hula. That’s what mama says.” Rey stood behind Lulua'ina, a playful smirk adorning her features. 

“Yeah, but mama has never seen daddy dance for a reason. Because Daddy just can’t dance.”

“No, I think you could dance hula if you wanted to, Ben,” Rey cut in.

“Lulu, I think you’re mama is teasing me.” Ben said solemnly.

“No, she isn’t,” Lulua'ina responded, looking wide-eyed from parent to parent. “Please!” she said, wiggling in her father’s grip, giving him the puppy dog eyes that Rey had insisted she inherited from Ben.

“Okay,” Ben relented, setting her down.

Lulua'ina wasted no time in fixing Ben’s posture, making sure his legs were bent and his back straight, barking orders in her small voice the entire time.

“Rey, Lulu is definitely going to be a kumu like you,” Ben said. 

“I’m glad,” Rey smiled.

Lulua'ina guided him through the kaholo steps, trying her absolute best to be patient. Key word: tried. She quickly exploded.

“Daddy! You’re too stiff! You need to move your hips more.”

Rey grinned wickedly at Ben.

Ben turned red.

“Yes, you need to move your hips more, Ben,” Rey sang.

\---===+===---

Late that night, after Lulua'ina had been put to bed, Rey stood in front of Ben, in nothing but her thin white nightgown.

“You need a teacher,” she murmured, smiling.

“Mmm, for what?” Ben asked, massaging Rey’s shoulders.

“You need to learn how to loosen your hips.”

That caught Ben’s attention.

“I do, do I?”

Rey nodded, making quick work of Ben’s shirt and sweatpants.

“You do. You’re too… tense.”

“Well, I guess I wouldn't mind a lesson or two,” Ben responded lowly, nipping lightly at Rey’s neck.

Rey shivered delightfully, happy that every feeling felt as new and wonderful as the first time.

“The first step is to relax,” Rey instructed, pushing her husband onto the mattress, and throwing her nightgown onto the ground. 

Ben’s eyes were glued to her breasts. “Then what?” he asked thickly. 

“Watch and learn,” Rey whispered, climbing on top of him, sheathing him inside her with one stroke.

Ben was never so eager to be someone’s student. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried writing sexy times, haha. Don't know how that turned out...
> 
> It's finished! Hope you enjoyed. I definitely want to write more Hawaiian Reylo fics - definitely an angsty one with an HEA, but it'd be one of the possible interpretations of the mele Kaulilua. 
> 
> Comments and kudos make me happy!
> 
> Twitter: @anexcitablehis1


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